Blowpipe and method of operating the same.



H. U. HARRISON.

BLOWHPE AND METHOD OF OPERATING THEv SAME.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.11, 1909.

968,350. Patented Aug.23,1910.

lxwwtwoeo of Niagara and STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. HERBERT C. HARRISON, 01 LOGKPOBT, NEW YQRK, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTED METAL-LUIBGIGAL COIPANY, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

' BLO WPIPE AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME.

Specification of Letters rum.

Patented Aug, 23, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT C. HARRISON, a subject of His Majesty theKing of Great Britain, residin at Lockport, in the county State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blowpipes andMethods of 0 erating the Same; and I do hereby dec are the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention relates to high temperature blow pipes and to methods ofoperating the same, and has for its object to produce an instrument ofthis nature which will create a higher temperature than those now inuse.

To these ends the invention consists in the novel combinations of stepsand details of construction more fully hereinafter disclosed andparticularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification in which like numerals refer to like parts in all theviews :Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevational view of a blow pipeillustrating the principles of my invention; Fi 2, is an elevationalsectional View of a s ightly modified form of blow pipe; and, Fig. 3, isan elevational sectional view of the form shown in F ig.2.

It is well known that masses of iron may be easily perforated by the useof an oxyhydrogen blow pipe. These blow pipes are first used to raise toan intense temperature a portion of the surface of the metal, afterwhich the hydrogen, hydrocarbon or coal gas, as the case may be, isalmost completely shut off, .while the pressure of the oxygen I israised to such an extent that the heated iron burns freely and at thesame time is mechanically forced aside by the pressure of the jetimpinging upon it. This process, of course, depends for its success uponthe presence of iron at a high temperature in an atmosphere of oxygen.and upon a blast of sufficient pressure to remove the molten oxidizediron. If the process, however, is tried on a silicious slag or on othermaterial which itself is not readily oxidizable at the temperature ofthe blast, the process is changed into that of an ordinary blow pipe orinto a mere melting or softening action, and increasing the pressure ofthe oxygen in such cases merely chills the heated spot. By the presentinvention, however, I supply finely divided iron, or other metal in afinely divided state, to the blow pipe in such a Way that it will burnin a stream of oxygen and in close proximity to or in contact with the,body to be perforated, and, thereby, produce. an intense temperature onthe sur face of the body, whether it be of an oxidizable nature or not.This process also produces an exceedingly concentrated heat at the pointof impact of the jet, which heat, of course, is intensified if thematerial is capable of being oxidized at all.

Another result of using finely divided iron or other metal in the blastand thereby obtaining a considerably higher temperature than it would bepossible to attain without the addition of such material is thepossibility of using a greater pressure in forcing away the softmaterial. That is to say, I am enabled to increase the pressure of thegases in the blow pipe to a degree much higher than would otherwise bepossible without chilling the heated spot.

In some cases it is found that the iron is liable to becomespontaneously combustible in the stream of oxygen and especially if itis in too fine a state of subdivision. In such cases I have found that astream of highly compressed air may-be used in place of the oxygen, forthat the nitrogen somewhat retards the combustion of the iron, but willallow the same to freely burn at the high temperature existing at thenozzle of the blow pipe. Instead of iron, for some purposes, a finelydivided graphite may be substituted, and in still other cases, finelydivided aluminum may be employed. In the case of aluminum, as is wellknown, the heat of combustion with oxygen is very high indeed, and,therefore, a most intense heat may be produced on the surface of themass to be perforated. In fact a mixture of finely divided thermit, orfinely divided aluminum and iron oxid may be used with excellentresults. Also good results may be obtained by blowing a stream of finelydivided combustible material from one apparatus onto the mass to beperforated, and simultaneously blowing thereon a stream of oxygen in theusual way.

In the drawings which are merely diagrammatic, I have illustrated a pipe1 for supplying oxygen, a pipe 2 for supplying hydrogen or hydrocarbongas, whlch are connected to the nozzle 3, all as is well known. At anysuitable point in the pipe 1 I introduce a pipe 4 for conveying thefinely divided metal or oxid of metal, as best illustrated in Fig. 2.This pipe 4, may be suitably controlled by a valve 5, and may be led toa supply 6 of the finely diyided material. The pipe 1 may also beconnected, as by the pipe 7 controlled by the valve 8 to the supply 6 offinely divided material, so that there may be produced in said supply 6a pressure for forcing the material into the pipe 1. That is to say, acertain amount of suction will take place at the base of the pipe 4,gravity Wlll assist in carrying the finely divided material down throughthe pipe 4, and if the valves 5 and 8 are properly adjusted, this actionby gravity will be supplemented by the forcing action of the gas throughthe pipe 7. It is evident that as the supply of gas in the pipe 1increases, the supply of finely divided material will likewise increase,and by providing the pipe 7 an automatic action will result which willfeed the finely divided material to the pipe 1 in proportion to thepressure therein, and

therefore, in proportion to the quantity of material that may be neededto burn. This action may be nicely controlled by suitably manipulating avalve 9 located between the pipes 4 and 7, as best illustrated in Fig.2.

In some cases it will be found desirable to regulate the supply offinely divided material to a greater nicety, and to this end the nozzle3 may be rotated on its axis so as to bring the vessel 10 holding thefinely divided material at any desired angle to the horizontal, andthereby, to increase or decrease the effect of gravity through the pipe4.. In order to facilitate this action a counterweight 11 may beprovided, as shown.

When finely divided aluminum is used, against silicious slag, the heatis so intense that the aluminum immediately unites with the slag to forman aluminum silicate and the pressure of the blast mechanicallydisplaces the same as fast as it is formed. in this way masses of slagmay be bored through with the same facility that masses of iron areperforated with the oxyhydrogen blow pipe.

The above drawings, it will be understood, are merely illustrative andshow only one means of carrying out my invention; but it Wiil be obviousthat those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction andthe arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit thereof.Therefore,

eeaeeo I do not wish to be limited to the special features hereindisclosed except as may be required by the claims.

What I claim is 1. The process of perforating masses of .material whichconsists in heating to a high temperature a portion of said material; incausing a stream of gas under pressure to impinge upon said heatedportion; n causing finely divided materlal WlllCl'1 is combustible athigh temperatures in said gas to impinge simultaneously upon said heatedportion thereby melting the same and in utilizing the pressure of theimpinging gases to remove the molten portions of the mass, substantiallyas described.

2. The process of perforating masses of material which consists inheating to a high temperature a portion of said material; in causing astream of gas under ressure containing oxygen and conveying nely dividedoxidizable material to impinge upon said heated portion and to melt thesame; and in utilizing the pressure of the impinging gases to remove themolten portions of sai mass, substantially as described.

8. The process of perforating masses of material, which consists inheating to a high temperature a portion of said material; in causing astream of gas under pressure containing oxygenand conveying finely d1-vided metal to impinge upon said heated portion and to melt the same;and in utilizing the pressure of the impinging gas to remove the moltenportions of said mass, substantially as describd.

4-. The process of perforating masses of material which consists inheating to a high temperature a portion of said material; in causing astream of air under pressure and charged with finely divided iron toimpinge on said heated portion and to melt the same; and in utilizingthe pressure of said air to remove the molten portions of said mass,substantially as described. 1

5. A blow pipe provided with a plurality of gas pipes, the combinationof means for feeding finely divided material into one of said pipes andmeans for creating a blast of suficient pressure to remove the materialbeing melted; substantially as described.

A blow pipe provided with a plurality of gas pipes, the combination ofmeans for feeding finely divided material into one of said pipes; andmeans for regulating said feeding means and means for creating a blastof sufficient pressure to remove the material being melted;substantially as described.

7. In a blow pipe the combination of supplies for a plurality of asesunder pressure; means for feeding a nely divided metal into one of saidsupplies; means for re at ing said feeding means; means for uti izingthe pressure of one of said gases for facilitating the feedin of saidfinely divided material and also or removing the material being melted;substantially as described.

8. In a blow pipe, the combination of sup ply pipes for a plurality ofgases under pres sure; means for feeding finely divided metal into oneof said supplies; a reservoir to hold said metal; means comprisingvalves for regulating said feeding means; means for 4 10 controllingsaid feeding means according to the pressure in the supply to which themetal is fed means for creating a blast of a pressure sufficient toremove the material being melted; substantial%gas described.

In testimony whereof, ture, in presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT O. HARRISON. Witnesses: I a

T. A. WITHERSPOON, J. FRED HELLEY.

